tumble

/ˈtʌmbl̩/

//ˈtʌmbl̩// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"tumble" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tumble” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,050 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,050
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A fall, especially end over end.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

tumble vs turtle
67% similar
tumble vs tumblr
83% similar
tumble vs Tuttle
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for tumble
PropertyValue
Headwordtumble
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtʌmbl̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,050
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tumble” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). tumble lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for tumble is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtʌmbl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,050 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for tumble, with forms such as "tmuble", "ttumble", and "tubmle". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "turtle", "tumblr", "Tuttle", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tumblen (“to fall over and over again, tumble”), frequentative of Middle English tumben (“to fall, leap, dance”), from Old English tumbian, from Proto-Germanic *tūmōną (“to turn, rotate”). Cognate with Middle Dutch tumelen (whence Dutch … The correct English form is tumble, spelled T-U-M-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fall, especially end over end.
  2. 2
    A disorderly heap.
  3. 3
    An act of sexual intercourse.

Etymology

From Middle English tumblen (“to fall over and over again, tumble”), frequentative of Middle English tumben (“to fall, leap, dance”), from Old English tumbian, from Proto-Germanic *tūmōną (“to turn, rotate”). Cognate with Middle Dutch tumelen (whence Dutch tuimelen), Middle Low German tumelen, tummelen, German taumeln and Danish tumle.

This word in other languages

caída(Español)culbute(Français)Sturz(Deutsch)tombo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: tmuble,ttumble,tubmle,tumbble,tumbel,tumblle,tumlbe,tummble,utmble

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tumble - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

tmuble2ttumble1tubmle2tumbble1tumbel2tumblle1tumlbe2tummble1
Edit distance from "tumble"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tumble"?
"tumble" is spelled T-U-M-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtʌmbl̩/.
What does "tumble" mean?
As a noun, "tumble" means: A fall, especially end over end.
What words are commonly confused with "tumble"?
"tumble" is commonly confused with "turtle", "tumblr", "Tuttle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tumble"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tumble" is /ˈtʌmbl̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "tumble"?
From Middle English tumblen (“to fall over and over again, tumble”), frequentative of Middle English tumben (“to fall, leap, dance”), from Old English tumbian, from Proto-Germanic *tūmōną (“to turn, rotate”). Cognate with Middle Dutch tumelen (whe... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “tumble”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is T-U-M-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtʌmbl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “turtle” - see the side-by-side comparison. tumble vs turtle
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list